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AMBASSADORS FROM 10 EU countries have asked the Netherlands to repudiate a nationalist party’s website that urges people to lodge complaints about central and eastern Europeans.
The site launched last week by Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party, which backs the minority government, calls on citizens to report “central and east Europeans … for general nuisance, pollution and labour market displacement.”
An open letter signed by diplomats from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia asked the Dutch to “distance themselves from this deplorable initiative,” which they say is “clearly discriminatory.”
The diplomats said the website would not help solve some of the issues caused by migration of citizens from eastern EU countries. ”Rather, it encourages negative perception of a particular group of EU citizens working in the Netherlands,” the open letter said.
“The statistics clearly show that our fellow citizens contribute significantly to the growth of the Dutch economy and the Dutch budget. The truth also is that our citizens do not take jobs from the Dutch nationals.”
Hungary’s foreign ministry said the 10 diplomats will meet Friday with Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal.
EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding and EU Digital Affairs Commissioner Neelie Kroes, who is Dutch, have criticised the website. In comments posted on Twitter, Kroes mocked the Freedom Party’s initiative.
“Ridiculous to think that denouncing others on a website will make Netherlands or EU a better place,” Kroes said. “What next? Your wife annoys you? Forget Valentine’s Day, log on and denounce her!”
Wilders’ party is the third largest in the Netherlands and agreed to back the minority right-wing coalition government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte in return for concessions such as a crackdown on immigration. In recent months, the Freedom Party has been losing ground in the polls.
Rutte has refused to condemn the website, saying he does not want to react to everything Wilders says and does.
Speaking to reporters in the Dutch Parliament, Wilders brushed off the commotion and said the site had already had more than 41,000 reactions.
“It’s a fantastic website,” Wilders said. “That half of the world, from European Commissioners to ambassadors, is getting involved doesn’t interest me at all.”
The website asks the Dutch whether they have lost jobs as a result of migrants from other countries or if “central and eastern Europeans (are) a nuisance to you? ”We’d love to hear it,” it says.
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What a non (I tried another word but it was perceived as toxic) story, half the country has been locked down even more so in the industries that sustain casualties. Almost as daft as the commentary about record recessions when the government shut down the country, shock horror & then the hype about record growth year on year when the government opened the economy back up & allowed folk to go back to making a crust, someone must have a blank page that need filling.
@Joe Thorpe: I accept your point. It is worth noting though that the Trump administration suppressed the reporting of work related death statistics, which had been required under the Obama administration. We could have a government that does something similar and thankfully we don’t. So I’m fine with having the statistics reported, even if it is an artificial low.
@David A. Murray: Well done you’ve somehow managed to bash trump in this news article it’s 2022 now come on just get over trump.
@Joe Thorpe: you obviously had a blank page that needed filling. Blank head too methinks.
@Joe Thorpe: there is no 2 ways about it sites are becoming safer and people are more self aware not to take risks. Regardless of lockdowns or not there’s people going home to their families who a few years ago would possibly lost their live doing the same job. 1 less life lost Regardless how is a result
The chances taken by small building contractors is directly contributing to these deaths especially the fall from height deaths. Two houses being built near me at the moment and both by two different contractors are disgraceful. The Scaffolding in particular…no hand rails, toe boards, access ladders, most sections only have one or two planks on them. Two scary things about it, 1 how the HSA let them get away with it, 2 how the contractors seem to just not care about their employees or even themselves.
@Ronan: Most of the lads at it have worked in the industry for years and with way less safety back then when they first started than now they’re probably so used to it they don’t see the danger.
@Ronan: are the HSA aware
@Ronan: those curtains must get awful greasy with your paws constantly twitching at them. If you’re so concerned why don’t you 1. Go and lend your massive scaffolding know how and a hand fixing it. 2. Stop making comments on a news article and go do something about it. Why make an effort when you can complain and say I told you so!
It’s because there are simply not enough HSA audits being carried out. I have worked on construction sites here for 35 years and only seen the HSA on two sites and on both occasions we were tipped off that they would be arriving. They were both on big site where generally safety would be better. It’s the small builder say building a few houses or maybe a small block of apartments that are a disgrace when it comes to health and safety. They should be getting regular unannounced audits from the HSA and this would focus them to run the sites better. Obviously down to lack of recourses and the builders know this.
Mostly due to lockdown but the HSA will be convinced that it’s due to their sill y over the top rules and regulations working as intended
@Quiet Goer: construction wasn’t loved down this year. March 2020 when it locked down
@Shaun Gallagher: it was actually last Christmas was extended to February. Unless it was council or 6 weeks from completion.
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